Academy 1:35th scale Military – German Sd.Kfz. 173 Jagdpanther Ausf.G1 – #13539

The Jagdpanther was a German WWII tank destroyer. The first prototypes of the vehicle were created in 1943, and serial production continued in the period 1944-1945, ending with the production of 392 cars. The Jagdpanther was powered by a 700hp Maybach HL 230 P30 single engine. It was armed with 1 88mm PaK 43 L / 71 gun and 1 7.92mm MG34 machine gun.

The Jagdpanther was created in response to the demand announced in August 1942 by the German army for a new tank destroyer. In response to this demand, the cooperating plants Krupp and Daimler-Benz developed a preliminary technical specification based on the chassis of the PzKpfw V Panther tank and models that were approved by the German army. The new tank destroyer had powerful armament, capable of destroying any enemy vehicle in the period 1944-1945, as well as well-profiled armor – especially at the front of the vehicle. The disadvantages were the complicated production process and high unit costs of the vehicle, which effectively slowed down serial production. Jagdpanther made his debut on the battlefield in the summer of 1944 in Normandy, then fought against the Western Allies in France and in the Ardennes operation at the turn of 1944-1945. It appeared on the Eastern Front in the fall of 1944, successfully fighting both the T-34 and the heavy IS-2. After World War II, Jagdpanther served in the French army until the 1960s!